Sunday, December 11, 2005

Baskets For Sew Catherine

Catherine posted a couple of pics on her blog of her mini basket blocks, which are SO darling! This made me excited too because I have a quilt top of these babies all ready to hand quilt, and the drive to do so really hasn't attacked me until I finish some other hand quilting-in-progress. (hoping to make a big dent in the hand quilting department next week while being gone!)

Anyway..the story of the basket quilt is one I thought you would enjoy, because there are actually TWO basket quilts!

When Lucy and I met via email and started writing back and forth and forming a friendship, we got this idea that we would both make this tiny basket quilt....really an insane thing because there are 180 of them in the quilt. That's a BUNCH of basket blocks!

SO! We get this idea that as we are each cutting out our own baskets, that we would cut them in sets of two, save one for ourself, and send the other cut out block as a 'kit' to each other! We sent them in groups of 20 or so baskets at a time. This way we were sharing the fabrics, but each doing our own work on them. By the time Lucy arrived here last March, we both had ALL the basket blocks DONE. I had spent lunch breaks at school appliqueing handles down, and then when I had enough handles done, I'd machine piece the batch, and then move onto the next batch, etc. It took me quite a while to get 180 baskets done.

While she was here we made a pilgrimage to Mary Jo's Fabrics in Gastonia, NC...and we picked out setting and border fabrics together. We even had sewing time here at my house with both machines going on the kitchen table and we had them laid out in two separate rooms! I got mine finished, Lucy's was still in progress when she packed it up to take it back to Haarlem, I still don't know if she finished her top or not...did you Lucy??

The wind was not cooperating with me while I tried to take pics. I really don't know when this will get quilted, but it has very special memories in the making of the tops!

This looks like the same basket pattern that I am using or at least very similar. I just don't think I am motivated to do all that bias binding as it is so short and thin...then to hand applique!! But I really want to make the quilt. It is just too beautiful to pass up. Thanks for sharing yours.

The pattern came from an older book, I bet you could still find it on ebay or amazon. It's called "Quilts from Grandma's attic". It's a Chitra publication using patterns from Quilting Today and Traditional Quiltworks Magazine.

You could also probably find the block in block base or other computer quilting software as it is a traditional basket block.

Oh ohhh,,,, blushes on my cheeks.... I still need to sew them together.It is not that I don't want to but I start everytime a another project. :c(. I love how the quilt is turned out. I still miss the project to share the fabric and make the baskets.It was so fun to see how they come out everytime. ANd it was GREAT to sew together in your kitchen,Bonnie. I have such a good memories about it!!!

Love the Basket quilt Lucy and Bonnie (I know Lucy..yours isn't QUITE to that stage but I'm including you anyway..*G*)!!

It's such fun to share a project like that..Betsy and I have done it a couple of times. The quilts turn out so different...*S*

About the pattern, my 2 cents worth...Alex Anderson featured it on Simply Quilts awhile back. And it was for that same 3.5" basket, and I think she showed a quick way to do the handle..where you just seam wrong side together of the bias fabric, and then slide the seam to center back and press the seam open so it lays flat. Looked like it curved just as nicely as the true method. Maybe the directions would be at her web site??

Oh Bonnie! I LOVE this basket quilt! Of course I always love your colors and fabrics. I saw a mini basket quilt at a quilt show this last fall and fell in love with it - but it wasn't as big as yours - and I love your colors much more!

And isn't that fun to share something with a friend! That is such a great memory that you and Lucy each made one!